1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storing apparatus and method for music data, and specifically relates to a storing apparatus and method that adds music information about a song to music data of the song read from a storage medium such as a compact disc (CD), and then, stores the music information and the music data in a storing unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A music data storing apparatus that reads music data from a CD and records the data into a storing unit such as a hard disk drive (HDD) has been put into a practical use. Such an apparatus can read and reproduce the music data from the hard disk drive (HDD) after storing the music data.
In this music data storing apparatus, music information about songs recorded on multiple CD's is stored into first storing means (a local data base CDDB) 2 for the respective CD's in advance as shown in FIG. 11. For example, a combination of lengths of the individual songs and gap lengths contained in TOC information of a CD is used as CD identification information, and music information including an album title, an artist name, titles of the individual songs is stored in the CDDB2 in correspondence to the storage medium identification information. Note that the CD identification information is constituted as a first song length—a gap length—a second song length—a gap length— . . . —a last song length.
When music data from a predetermined CD 1 is stored on a hard disk drive (HDD) 3, a music data management control unit 4 refers to TOC information (CD identification information) of the CD 1, and determines whether music information is stored in the local CDDB 2, and the music data management control unit 4 adds music information 1 on a first song to music data 1 of the first song read from the CD 1, and stores them on the hard disk drive 3 if the music information about CD 1 is stored in the local CDDB 2. Subsequently, in the same manner, music information j (j=1, 2, 3, . . . ) is added to music data j read from the CD 1, and they are stored on the hard disk drive 3, and similarly further, music data read from another CD added with music information is stored on the hard disk drive 3. Then, as for reproduction, when reproduction from the HDD is requested from an operation unit 5 to the music data management control unit 4, the music data management control unit 4 sequentially reads music data from the hard disk drive 3, and supplies an audio circuit 6 with the music data, thereby outputting sound from a speaker 7. Additionally, reproduction at random is carried out by receiving a music information list by the music data management control unit 4, showing the list on a display unit of the operation unit 5, and allowing selection of desired music. In addition, when several sets of a sequence of desired songs to be reproduced are determined in advance as folders, it is possible to sequentially reproduce songs in a set by selecting the set.
Note that the above description is given of a case where the music information about the CD 1 is stored in the local CDDB 2. However, the music information stored in the CDDB 2 obsoletes and becomes old, the CDDB 2 does not contain music information about the latest CD's, and the music information about CD 1 may not be stored in the local CDDB 2. In this case, though music data can be stored in a music data entry 3b on the hard disk drive 3, correct music information cannot stored in a music information entry 3a, and substituting music information such as information entered from a key unit of the operation unit 5 and a recorded date are stored in the music information entry 3a. 